6 ms·

Facebook cut off access to Australian fire brigade pages, among others.

by onlypositive 3y ago

wahnfrieden 3y ago
Facebook news is shutting off in Canada where there are currently wildfires. I'm leaving no comment on why.
- betaby 3y ago
  How's USA based Facebook related to wildfires in Canada? Check cbc.ca for the updates related to wildfires.
  - HWR_14 3y ago
    Due to some revenue sharing rules that just went into effect in Canada, designed to prevent news from being absorbed by Facebook and never leading to the ads being seen on the original website, FB is closing link. Sharing to cbc.ca. People can go there directly, but eventually safety information being everywhere is a good thing.
    - betaby 3y ago
      Perhaps it's only me, but Facebook is the last place I would think of to search information about wildfires.
      - jhugo 3y ago
        Many people I know seem to basically rely on stuff they need to know showing up in their Facebook (or sometimes, even more bizarrely, Instagram) feed.
      - tourmalinetaco 3y ago
        A large chunk of old people in my life unfortunately still rely on FB for some news
      - NooneAtAll3 3y ago
        one doesn't search for it one stumbles onto it and the only place to stumble onto information is where one spends the time - facebook, reddit, heck - even hackernews
      - HWR_14 3y ago
        A lot of people spend time on Facebook. Therefore, it's a good way to push urgent information. It's not where I would look for information. But that assumes I know I should be looking.
    - fallingknife 3y ago
      The "revenue sharing rules" you speak of were a shakedown. Imagine if YC had to pay Tech Crunch for linking this post. They would shut down HN immediately. That's what they are requiring of FB.
      - ummonk 3y ago
        Or rather would shutdown linking to TechCrunch.
      - cratermoon 3y ago
        Yeah except they aren't just providing a link, they are wrapping up the headline, a picture, and the first graph or two from the story onto timelines surrounded by their ads, which sends no revenue to the source. People don't click through. It just looks like "Facebook News". It's not that much different from a content farm.
        cscurmudgeon 3y ago
        > Yeah except they aren't just providing a link, they are wrapping up the headline, a picture, and the first graph or two from the story onto timelines surrounded by their ads, which sends no revenue to the source Only to the extent allowed by news websites headers. Maybe this whole thing could have been solved by politicians understanding tech a little better?
        cratermoon 3y ago
        > Maybe this whole thing could have been solved by politicians understanding tech a little better? How often do we hear, on HN and elsewhere, people complain about laws they don't like wish politicians better understood what they are legislating? This implies the existence of a technological solution, set by technocrats who "understand" better. Whoever asks the question suggests politicians don't know better, offering that explanation without proof. Also, for the Free Market enthusiasts out there, why hasn't the market solved this problem? What forces are preventing all parties from working out a technical and economic solution?
- cscurmudgeon 3y ago
  Only the Canadian govt. is to blame for this.
  - bregma 3y ago
    The government of Canada is of the people, by the people, for the people of Canada. You're saying it's the people of Canada who are responsible for a business interest refusing to extract their wealth if it can not be done for free, and you're entirely correct. Goodbye Meta and Google and other greedy foreign exploiters and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
    - cscurmudgeon 3y ago
      > The government of Canada is of the people, by the people, for the people of Canada. You're saying it's the people of Canada who are responsible for a business interest So they can never make mistakes and be blame free in any scenario? > refusing to extract their wealth if it can not be done for free, and you're entirely correct. Yes, now they can keep all their wealth with them. Why are they complaining? Why fret over this if extraction is being stopped by these companies shutting down link sharing? > Goodbye Meta and Google and other greedy foreign exploiters and don't let the door hit you on the way out. Yes, it is the foreign companies who are greedy and not rent seeking mega news corps who want $$$ for linking to them lol. There are no large media companies in Canada, just independent journalism pure in heart and no commercial intent. /s > greedy foreign exploiters So xenophobia is a cause for this action?
  - onlypositive 3y ago
    In the Australian case Facebook acted in retaliation. The law was about news media, Facebook shutdown a bunch of unrelated govt services pages in retaliation. Facebook definitely deserves a lot of blame. Likely in this case too. I'm pro capitalist as much as the next guy but laws are by the people, if a business wants to extract money from our community it needs to play by our rules. Facebook cutting access is like a badly raised toddler throwing a tantrum.
    - 3y ago
- dghlsakjg 3y ago
  No comment on why? It is very clear that it is due to them not wanting to comply with bill C-18. Reported on by every major news outlet that I’ve seen
  - johndhi 3y ago
    Wow that's a pretty interesting story. Intrigued to see how it goes. As a lawyer for a tech co I've always wanted to entertain a situation like this (small market is behaving so absurdly you simply leave it) but it's pretty rare. Good test case.
    - dandellion 3y ago
      Something similar happened in Spain in 2014, when a local law would have forced Google to pay for linking or using abstracts. They shut down Google News. https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/dec/12/google-news-spain-tax-withdraws https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/dec/12/google... It remained closed until 2022 when the law was changed and newspapers were allowed to negotiate directly with Google individually. https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-news-re-opens-spain-after-eight-year-shutdown-2022-06-22/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-news-re-opens-spai...
      - ocdtrekkie 3y ago
        But Google and Facebook both said the same would happen in France and Australia, where they are now complying with both: Spain caved too quickly.
        Hnrobert42 3y ago
        Too quickly? I can’t tell if you are joking.
        moneywoes 3y ago
        The Australia bill is different and allows negotiations no?
- thephyber 3y ago
  wrong. > The move comes in reaction to the federal government's Online News Act, Bill C-18, which would require the tech giant to pay Canadian media companies for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2221275715931 https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2221275715931
  - wahnfrieden 3y ago
    The fuck is wrong?
- nvy 3y ago
  Yep and nothing of value was lost.

Facebook cut off access to Australian fire brigade pages, among others.

wahnfrieden 3y ago

Facebook news is shutting off in Canada where there are currently wildfires. I'm leaving no comment on why.

betaby 3y ago
How's USA based Facebook related to wildfires in Canada? Check cbc.ca for the updates related to wildfires.
- HWR_14 3y ago
  Due to some revenue sharing rules that just went into effect in Canada, designed to prevent news from being absorbed by Facebook and never leading to the ads being seen on the original website, FB is closing link. Sharing to cbc.ca. People can go there directly, but eventually safety information being everywhere is a good thing.
  - betaby 3y ago
    Perhaps it's only me, but Facebook is the last place I would think of to search information about wildfires.
    - jhugo 3y ago
      Many people I know seem to basically rely on stuff they need to know showing up in their Facebook (or sometimes, even more bizarrely, Instagram) feed.
    - tourmalinetaco 3y ago
      A large chunk of old people in my life unfortunately still rely on FB for some news
    - NooneAtAll3 3y ago
      one doesn't search for it one stumbles onto it and the only place to stumble onto information is where one spends the time - facebook, reddit, heck - even hackernews
    - HWR_14 3y ago
      A lot of people spend time on Facebook. Therefore, it's a good way to push urgent information. It's not where I would look for information. But that assumes I know I should be looking.
  - fallingknife 3y ago
    The "revenue sharing rules" you speak of were a shakedown. Imagine if YC had to pay Tech Crunch for linking this post. They would shut down HN immediately. That's what they are requiring of FB.
    - ummonk 3y ago
      Or rather would shutdown linking to TechCrunch.
    - cratermoon 3y ago
      Yeah except they aren't just providing a link, they are wrapping up the headline, a picture, and the first graph or two from the story onto timelines surrounded by their ads, which sends no revenue to the source. People don't click through. It just looks like "Facebook News". It's not that much different from a content farm.
      - cscurmudgeon 3y ago
        > Yeah except they aren't just providing a link, they are wrapping up the headline, a picture, and the first graph or two from the story onto timelines surrounded by their ads, which sends no revenue to the source Only to the extent allowed by news websites headers. Maybe this whole thing could have been solved by politicians understanding tech a little better?
        cratermoon 3y ago
        > Maybe this whole thing could have been solved by politicians understanding tech a little better? How often do we hear, on HN and elsewhere, people complain about laws they don't like wish politicians better understood what they are legislating? This implies the existence of a technological solution, set by technocrats who "understand" better. Whoever asks the question suggests politicians don't know better, offering that explanation without proof. Also, for the Free Market enthusiasts out there, why hasn't the market solved this problem? What forces are preventing all parties from working out a technical and economic solution?
cscurmudgeon 3y ago
Only the Canadian govt. is to blame for this.
- bregma 3y ago
  The government of Canada is of the people, by the people, for the people of Canada. You're saying it's the people of Canada who are responsible for a business interest refusing to extract their wealth if it can not be done for free, and you're entirely correct. Goodbye Meta and Google and other greedy foreign exploiters and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
  - cscurmudgeon 3y ago
    > The government of Canada is of the people, by the people, for the people of Canada. You're saying it's the people of Canada who are responsible for a business interest So they can never make mistakes and be blame free in any scenario? > refusing to extract their wealth if it can not be done for free, and you're entirely correct. Yes, now they can keep all their wealth with them. Why are they complaining? Why fret over this if extraction is being stopped by these companies shutting down link sharing? > Goodbye Meta and Google and other greedy foreign exploiters and don't let the door hit you on the way out. Yes, it is the foreign companies who are greedy and not rent seeking mega news corps who want $$$ for linking to them lol. There are no large media companies in Canada, just independent journalism pure in heart and no commercial intent. /s > greedy foreign exploiters So xenophobia is a cause for this action?
- onlypositive 3y ago
  In the Australian case Facebook acted in retaliation. The law was about news media, Facebook shutdown a bunch of unrelated govt services pages in retaliation. Facebook definitely deserves a lot of blame. Likely in this case too. I'm pro capitalist as much as the next guy but laws are by the people, if a business wants to extract money from our community it needs to play by our rules. Facebook cutting access is like a badly raised toddler throwing a tantrum.
  - 3y ago
dghlsakjg 3y ago
No comment on why? It is very clear that it is due to them not wanting to comply with bill C-18. Reported on by every major news outlet that I’ve seen
- johndhi 3y ago
  Wow that's a pretty interesting story. Intrigued to see how it goes. As a lawyer for a tech co I've always wanted to entertain a situation like this (small market is behaving so absurdly you simply leave it) but it's pretty rare. Good test case.
  - dandellion 3y ago
    Something similar happened in Spain in 2014, when a local law would have forced Google to pay for linking or using abstracts. They shut down Google News. https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/dec/12/google-news-spain-tax-withdraws https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/dec/12/google... It remained closed until 2022 when the law was changed and newspapers were allowed to negotiate directly with Google individually. https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-news-re-opens-spain-after-eight-year-shutdown-2022-06-22/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-news-re-opens-spai...
    - ocdtrekkie 3y ago
      But Google and Facebook both said the same would happen in France and Australia, where they are now complying with both: Spain caved too quickly.
      - Hnrobert42 3y ago
        Too quickly? I can’t tell if you are joking.
      - moneywoes 3y ago
        The Australia bill is different and allows negotiations no?
thephyber 3y ago
wrong. > The move comes in reaction to the federal government's Online News Act, Bill C-18, which would require the tech giant to pay Canadian media companies for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2221275715931 https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2221275715931
- wahnfrieden 3y ago
  The fuck is wrong?
nvy 3y ago
Yep and nothing of value was lost.